


Survival Instincts

by Mixed_Mooniverse



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Blood and Gore, Experimentation, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Laboratories, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Rescue, Sam and Tucker Were Orphans, Soft!Vlad, Torture, Trauma, Vlad Adopted Sam and Tucker, Vlad isn't evil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:00:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24633478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mixed_Mooniverse/pseuds/Mixed_Mooniverse
Summary: Danny was practically born inside a Ghost Investigation Ward facility. All he knows is cold white walls and his daily "tests." After 16 painful years in the GIW base, three strangers finally introduce him to freedom and the world outside the facility.Gore and torture warning!Updates on Tuesday (Not Guaranteed)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 103





	1. The Facility

The child was practically born inside a Ghost Investigation Ward facility. He had been kidnapped the moment he was able to eat solid food. He didn't have a clue who his family was. He didn't even have a name other than 'child,' 'creature,' or 'abomination.' The ghosts called him various things, but he had no true name. All he had ever known were cold, white walls and epoxy flooring.

The scientists used him as a human test subject to experiment how ghostly items would affect humans. They would inject him with ectoplasm to see how his blood reacted, or feed him things taken from the Ghost Zone. One day, an experiment to see the effects of prolonged exposure to ectoplasmic radiation went too far, effectively killing the boy when he was only 12 years old.

Or so they thought.

They were certain the boy had died and become a ghost. However, when he collapsed from exhaustion, he had shifted back into his human appearance. The scientists were thrilled to have an entirely new ' _creature_ ' to experiment on.

Oh, how the boy cursed that fateful day. If only he hadn't half died, the tests would never have gotten so brutal. He would do anything to return to the days when they tortured him with mere ectoplasm. Now, they would bring him to the brink of death. There were times a test would escalate further than expected, temporarily killing him. They always brought him back.

He would rather stay dead.

The tests were endless and excruciating. His only escape was when he was allowed to heal in his blood-spattered cell, or interact with the other captive ghosts. On occasion, the captive ghosts were brought together to battle against each other or against machines chosen by the scientists. 

The half-ghost had become especially close with one ghost named Wulf, who was notorious for his escape attempts. The boy's only education came from those rare interactions with other ghosts. His English and writing were both incredibly choppy, since most ghosts did not like associating with the 'freak' child. Rarely, Skulker or Technus would sneak over to teach him how to read, write, or speak. It didn't usually end well for them.

Wulf was the only one who always returned to the child. He would bear the torture and punishments that came in turn with helping him. The werewolf ghost valued the boy, teaching him Esperanto at any chance he could get. He'd escaped his cell countless times to assist, teach, or comfort the halfa. The child would do the same any time he could.

Wulf was there for the boy, and the boy was there for Wulf. No amount of punishment would separate them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The halfa was 16 now. He was clearly undernourished, ribs poking obviously through his tattered jumpsuit. His eyes were a dull, gray-green. He was dirtied and pale. The occasional stain of blood or ectoplasm dotted his suit or skin. He had a sunken in face with a lost, hopeless expression.

He sat miserably in his cell, staring blankly into nothingness. His hands were cuffed together. He had recently attempted to escape during a power outage, and currently sat awaiting his impending torture. He knew it was coming at any moment. He tried to look calm, but he was trembling. He was terrified. He had no idea what they might do.

He heard footsteps approach and he clenched his eyes shut. The door slammed open. He couldn't help but flinch. The agent stormed in and gripped him by the collar wrapped around his throat. It was a collar capable of electrocuting him at any moment, and it intensely weakened his ghost abilities.

The agent yanked him to his feet, gruffly stating, "Move it, freak." He shoved him out the doorway and down the long white hallway, directly toward the experimentation room. His breath hitched in his throat. That wasn't the punishment room. He stopped in his tracks, but the agent behind him roughly pushed him forward. He stumbled, holding his breath in fear.

The walls were cold. The blinding white lights were something the boy had been forced to grow accustomed to. White was a color associated with pain. The halls were empty. The walls had doors to additional cells. As he walked further down the hall, he peered down a corner on the way. Wulf's cell was at the end of that hallway. He was dragged away before he could notice if Wulf was there or not.

The teen shuffled into the experimentation room, terror gripping at his body. He looked up, seeing the chilling face of the lead scientist, who was stirring something in a strange container. He swallowed thickly, frozen in fear. The agent behind him shoved him again, leading him to the padded chair and strapping him down. He knew better than to struggle.

The scientist approached him, looking smug. "Ah, my favourite little ghost-creature." He caressed his cheek, ignoring his flinch. "I have something very special in store for you today." He removed his hand and stood up, straightening his back. He gestured to the liquid he was stirring before. "Do you know what this is? ...No, of course you don't." He sneered. " _This_ -" He stated with clarity, "is fluoroantimonic acid."

A chill of pure terror shot down the halfa's spine. Any kind of acid was bad news. He lurched against his restraints, letting out a whine.

The scientist smirked, leaning forward. He stared coldly into the half-ghost's fearful eyes. "This is one of the most dangerous superacids in the world. I've been wanting to test its effects on a ghost's enhanced healing for quite a while now, and guess who decided to act up and misbehave?" He cooed, grabbing the boy's chin and tilting it up.

At this point he was shaking uncontrollably, attempting to thrash against his binds. "N-no, no!" He choked.

"Would you like to know what fluoroantimonic acid does to flesh?" The scientist purred. "It melts it. Just like cheese on a pizza." The halfa's eyes widened in horror. The scientist had a ferocious glint in his eye. "And would you like to know what your punishment for running is?" He reached behind him and grabbed a funnel, tilting the teen's head up further. "I'm sure you can already guess," he snarled, shoving the funnel between the child's lips.

He let loose a cry, kicking out in terror. He tried to spit out the funnel, but the scientist had it firmly positioned, shoving it further into his mouth so the opening was positioned just above his esophagus. Tears streaked down his face, his breath hitching in his throat. "N-no way!" He attempted to scream past the funnel.

"Oh don't worry, little monster." The scientist chirped, seemingly delighted at the ghost boy's distress. "The funnel won't melt with the acid. It's specially made of polytetrafluoroethylene! Not that you know what that is. You can just call it teflon." He grinned, raising the large bottle of acid and holding it above the funnel. "Open wide!" He purred, tilting the bottle into the funnel.

He shrieked, experiencing indescribable levels of pain. The burning travelled from his throat down to his stomach. He released an anguished sob. The agony was unbearable. He could feel his flesh give out as the acid viciously ate through it. The scientist was right, his flesh simply melted under the cruel bite of the acid. It ate directly through his throat, dripping onto the tile below.

"Oh my! A bit messier than expected!" The scientist exclaimed, jumping backwards to avoid it splashing on himself. He stared in awe at the acid dripping from the child. He even grimaced when the boy choked, causing another spill of acid to splash onto the floor.

The acid reached his stomach, reacting with the additional acid there. His shrieks tore through the air. It felt like his stomach was boiling and twisting apart from the inside out.

The boy was only grateful of the fact that the acid ate through _everything_ , including his nerves. The pain was excruciating, but it only lasted for mere seconds. When the acid finally finished reacting with his flesh, he could only sob in relief. He was sure his wails of agony were heard throughout the entire facility. He sat limply, spasming as violent sobs escaped his bloodied mouth. He wished to anyone that could possibly be out there to free him, to end this misery he was forced to endure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam Manson and Tucker Foley had both lost their families when they were young children. They refused to be adopted unless they were adopted together. After several years cycling through orphanages, they were met with the billionaire Vlad Masters. He could see the pain and fire in the teens' eyes, and he hastily decided he would take them in as his own. The children had a desire to live much like himself.

They made an odd family. Vlad was an upper-class citizen, dressed in formal attire at all times. He busied himself with paranormal research, which the kids soon discovered and became part of.

Sam was a darker individual, refusing to conform to society's standards. She had an interest in the occult, and quickly forced her way into Vlad's paranormal interests. She was a clever child, able to adapt rapidly to changes in her surroundings.

Tucker focused his interests on the technological side of things. He easily adopted his role as the 'tech-geek' of the family. He was happy to help in the lab, tinkering with all the different machines and devices.

In Vlad's early days of his ghost studies, before adopting the children, he had been working on his very own ghost portal. It exploded due to a miscalculation relating to the fuel, exposing him to lethal levels of ectoplasm. He became the very first half-human, half-ghost hybrid on that day.

As Sam and Tucker had become more and more interested and enveloped in his paranormal studies, Vlad eventually told them the truth about himself; how he had acquired his wealth, how he gained power, all the wrongs he had committed. Vlad had become a different person since Sam and Tucker entered his life, and believed they deserved to know his past. They had been shocked and infuriated at first. Sam didn't speak to him for several weeks. They finally accepted that he was still the same man who took them in and eagerly studied the paranormal with them, understanding that he had now changed for the better.

Presently, they had just received information about a government agency capturing and performing experiments upon ghosts. Vlad was currently locked in his studying, researching everything he could about the group. Sam and Tucker were checking equipment in the lab.

Tucker was fiddling with one of the blasters. "How serious do you think this is?" He asked Sam. "Vlad is almost... scary focused. Ooh, maybe we'll go on a rescue mission!" He exclaimed eagerly. They weren't a ghost-hunting family; they were simply dedicated to the paranormal.

"Not sure." Sam mumbled. "Whatever those scientists are doing, it can't be good. I'm going to help those ghosts whether Vlad wants to or not." Her brows furrowed.

Vlad stormed into the lab at that moment, causing the teens' heads to shoot up to attention.

"We're rescuing the ghosts." He stated flatly. He looked enraged. Sam and Tucker shared a wide-eyed stare before turning back.

"What did you find out?" Sam asked cautiously.

Vlad tensed, placing his hands on his desk and leaning forward. He let out a low growl, "That isn't a _laboratory_." He spat, gesturing at his own lab. " _This_ is a lab. What they have, that's just a massive torture chamber. They've trapped dozens of ghosts to brutally experiment on. They have a _child_ with them." Sam gasped, and Tucker dropped the blaster he was working on.

Sam was adamant on protecting everyone and everything, including ghosts. Her fists clenched and she ground her teeth together. "When do we leave?" She hissed.

Vlad lifted his head. "As soon as I learn everything about their building. I'll find the floor plans and discover the best way to break in. In the meantime, you two prepare the ecto-suits and the blasters. We'll need them. Tucker, you make sure you have everything needed to hack into their systems. I will give you the basics of their security." The kids both nodded, immediately turning to work on their respective jobs.

"We're getting those ghosts out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh MAN I'm so excited to start this story!! I don't have a ton of plans but at the same time I have so many ideas that I want to use! I'm really excited. You have no idea how much time I'm putting into research for this-- the fluoroantimonic acid was insane! I put a lot of time into that information and there was a lot more I wanted to add but I figured no one really wants an essay about what would happen if you were submerged in it... *cough cough* you would literally melt *cough cough* you wouldn't even feel the excruciating pain for a quadrillionth of a second *cough cough*
> 
> No update on Ghost Heat today cuz, yknow, I've been working on this.


	2. Escape Pt.1

Over a week had been spent studying the layout of the GIW facility. Vlad focused on memorizing each and every level and hallway, while Tucker studied their security. Sam had been training intensely for the entire week, fueled by anger and disgust at the organization.

They were finally prepared. The three met in the lab, each equipping themselves with their respective tools. Tucker had a visor over his head that allowed him to detect ecto-energy as well as heat signatures. Vlad held a laptop and a large ecto-cannon was strapped to his back. Sam was supplied with several ecto-blasters and a staff. 

The three each had custom suits, Vlad's seeming more like a suit of armor, whereas Tucker had a thicker, sturdier set to keep him safe if he was stuck in the middle of hacking. Sam's was lithe and skin-tight so she could move swiftly.

"Are we all clear on the plan?" Vlad asked, voice cold and stern. The two teens nodded firmly.

"I'm in charge of defense. I'll sneak in and take down as many guards as possible." Sam stated. She shifted her weight to one leg and crossed her arms.

"I'll hack the systems in order to scramble the cameras, release the doors, and free the ghosts!" Tucker added, giving a thumbs up.

"And I will work on destroying their defenses." Vlad nodded. "I'll take down the ghost shield. Are you all prepared? We leave tonight. Make sure you have your night-vision goggles. Remember, the child is our first priority." He clenched his fists. _Hold on just a little longer_ , he thought about the ghosts. _We'll be there soon._

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The boy coughed, seeing the blood spatter the floor of his cell. The fluoroantimonic acid had destroyed everything on the path from his mouth to his stomach. Even after a week had passed, his throat was still torn and burned. Breathing was excruciating, and he knew talking would be impossible. He leaned against the wall of his tiny six by six cell.

There was nothing in the cell with him except links on the wall to chain him to and a small cloth. The cloth was filthy, covered in blood, ectoplasm, and vomit, similar to the surrounding walls. It was the only thing he could use to try and wipe his wounds.

He stared up at the ceiling vacantly. He felt utterly numb. At least he hadn't been punished for several days. He experienced another lashing session after his experience with the acid. The scientists insisted that it wasn't enough of a punishment; he needed to be shown how 'pitiful' and 'disgusting' he was. So they resorted to the classic: their ectoranium enhanced whip.

He laid down in the corner, trying not to let a sob wrack his body. If he cried, he would be in even more pain than he was already. His chest heaved as he tried desperately to calm his breathing. The pain was unbearable. He didn't need to make it worse.

He closed his eyes, steadying himself. He let his mind drift to Wulf, wondering how he was doing. Hopefully he hadn't been punished similarly to the boy. He was the only friend he had. He was the ghost who helped him learn to fight, how to speak, and tried to help him write. Wulf, though powerful, was not the smartest. The boy was thinking about when the canine ghost fumbled with a pen that one of the agents had dropped. 

He would have smiled if his mouth wasn't ragged flaps of torn flesh. 

He gently touched his throat, trying to assess the damage. His lower jaw was still burned through, causing him to occasionally drool accidentally. His throat was slowly healing. The skin was gradually stretching back over the gaping wound. The perforation in his stomach had fortunately reformed so the acid would stop seeping into his abdominal cavity.

The skin that was not fully eaten by the acid was wrinkled and raw. It glistened, irritated by the open air. The stuffy air burned his open wounds. 

He sighed through his nose as he took his hand away from his neck. He laid out straight on his back so he wouldn't irritate any injuries other than his lashed back. He was used to the cuts from the whip. His bony arms sat limply at his sides.

His eyes snapped open as he heard a blaring alarm sound through the facility. He struggled to sit up, eyes wide as the power went out. His room was pitch black. 

He was horribly reminded of his sensory-deprivation isolation punishments, where he was forced to sit alone without the use of his senses. He couldn't hear, couldn't feel, couldn't see, he couldn't even feel anything. He would be utterly empty. The only thing that would ground him was the taste of blood or bile in his mouth.

The emergency power came on, causing him to snap out of the memory and release the breath he was holding. He trembled in the corner, terrified. What was happening?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tucker, what's taking you so long with the doors?!" Sam hissed quietly. She and Tucker stood in a hall filled with knocked out agents.

Tucker frantically tapped his PDA. "I don't know! Their system has it so only small sections of cells can be opened at a time. It'll take too long to free all the ghosts like this! I've only freed one of dozens of sectors!" He cried. 

Vlad interrupted over the shared intercom, "The child's cell is G-0-14. He is at the last level of the facility, in the fourteenth cell on the bottom floor. Find his sector and free him first. There are fifteen cells per sector." He commanded.

Tucker nodded, but quickly realized again that they were communicating over an intercom. "Uh, yeah! No worries." He pulled up the map of the facility and raced toward the elevator with Sam.

"It's locked." Sam growled, smacking her staff against the doors.

Tucker smirked, waving his PDA. "No match for this handsome genius." He rapidly hacked into the system, opening the elevator and sending them both to the bottom floor. They stepped out, immediately faced with over a dozen GIW agents. "Aw, shit."

Sam leaped out of the elevator, slamming her staff into the chest of an agent. She swung it back around in one fluid motion, straight across the knees of an agent behind her. She pulled out a blaster, shooting several more white-suited men in front of them, effectively knocking them out.

Tucker fumbled with his own weapon, stepping out of the elevator to take down a couple agents himself. Sam was much more suited to combat than he was, he was just the tech-geek. An agent grabbed him from behind, holding him in a chokehold. Tucker gasped, raising his foot and slamming it into the knee of his captor. A sickening crack echoed through the hall, and the teen winced.

After several minutes of fighting, the two stood above the unconscious workers, panting heavily. A few of the agents sat crumpled on the floor, groaning in pain. Sam gave them a swift smack across the head with her staff to fully knock them out.

"Nice move, Tuck." Sam complimented, giving him a reassuring thumbs up. 

Tucker looked sick to the stomach and shook his head, staying silent. He turned around and began walking down the hallway, staring at the map. "It's just down this hall."

She nodded, taking the lead. She held a blaster in one hand and her staff in the other, fully prepared to take down any other enemies. She paused. "Uh... is it the one covered in blood and ectoplasm?"

"Sam, they're all covered in blood and ectoplasm."

"That's not what I meant!" She snapped. "One of them looks fresh. Look how brightly the ectoplasm is glowing." She nodded her head in the direction of one of the doors.

Tucker glanced up, then at the map. "Yeah, that's G-0-14." He took a deep breath, stepping toward the door. "Let's get this baby open."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The boy sat frozen in his cell, listening to the sounds of agents grunting down the hallway. He tensed in terror. Was he going to punished again? Already? He was barely healed! His nervous sweat stung against the raw acid burns on his skin, but it was nothing he wasn't used to. He scooted further against the wall as the grunting subsided.

His breath hitched in his throat once he heard footsteps outside his cell. His eyes were wide open, glowing neon green with dread.

He heard the familiar click and scraping of the door being opened. This was it. He was going to be hurt again. He lowered his head, knowing he was forbidden to make eye contact with his captors.

He heard a quiet gasp. "Oh my god," came a soft whisper from the doorway. 

The boy hunched his shoulders, anticipating the usual kick to his stomach that would force him into submission. It never came. He was tempted to look up in confusion, but he knew what would happen if he did. He adjusted himself so he was kneeling with his hands on the floor in front of him. This was just another trick. He could pass this test. He _would_ pass this test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm splitting this into two chapters to make it easier on myself to edit lmfao- 
> 
> First of all I'd like to clarify that I've been genuinely learning Esperanto, but I am in no way fluent yet! I cannot guarantee perfect accuracy! No google translate is used because I want to make the sentences as accurate as possible. If you know Esperanto then (first hmu I wanna speak lol) please correct me if my grammar is wrong!
> 
> Secondly, sorry about the SUPER late update! I know not many people read this story yet but I still want to keep a schedule. Keep your eyes open for the third chapter this Tuesday!


	3. Escape Pt.2

Sam gasped in horror as the light flooded the room, revealing the heart-breaking sight of a mutilated teenage boy. "Oh my god," she whispered. She put a hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. Tucker turned his head to the side, holding back a gag at the sight of the teen's gaping throat.

The boy looked utterly broken. He was hunched over as if they were going to hit him. He was bloody and battered, with a tight collar around his neck. The two teenagers could see the tremors as they coursed through the ghost's body. He was shaking uncontrollably. He kept his eyes on the floor the entire time.

Sam let out a heartbroken whine as she saw him struggle to force himself into a kneeling position. "Oh my god," she repeated. "How could they do this? He's just a kid!" She whispered to Tucker.

Tucker shook his head sadly. He took a step forward, wincing as he saw the boy flinch. "I'm sorry," he tried. "We're here to help."

The boy only stared at the floor in silence.

"Can you... can you look at us?" Sam whispered. The wounded teen tensed, lowering his head further. "You... you won't be punished." Her voice cracked at the word 'punished.' This boy was completely traumatized. Her blood pulsed with rage at the monsters who did this to him.

The ghost still hesitated. He finally raised his head, but kept his eyes looking away. Both Sam and Tucker's hearts wrenched with grief when they saw his face. He looked vacant and empty. As if he was numb.

"Can you stand?" Tucker asked.

The teen staggered to his feet, and immediately lowered his head once more. Sam dove forward instinctually to support him, but his eyes widened in fear at the sudden movement and he stumbled backward, crashing into the wall.

"Shit, I'm so sorry!" Sam whispered, stepping back to give him space. "I didn't mean to scare you! I only want to help." She soothed, trying to calm the now panicking ghost.

The ghost clutched at his chest and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before stepping forward again. He stumbled, leaning too far to one side. Sam wanted to help, but knew he would freak out again if she did. He straightened himself out, standing carefully. He was eyeing the two suspiciously, but refused to make eye contact.

Tucker glanced at Sam. "We don't have time." He whispered tensely. "We need to get out, fast." Sam nodded slowly, glancing at the injured teen in front of them. They had to hurry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why hadn't they hurt him? The boy stood swaying slightly in the cell. He had failed. He had fallen over. He had flinched. Where were the punches? The kicks? He was unsettled and confused. He wouldn't raise his eyes to meet theirs, but by studying their bodies he could see that they weren't dressed like the GIW. Was this a new test?

He heard mumbling and saw the two begin walking slowly out of the room, glancing back at him. He knew he was required to follow. Resistance meant punishment.

He staggered out of the room after them. He could tell they wanted to do something, but didn't know what. It was probably a new test. They led him down the hall and he saw the turn that led to Wulf. He stopped, conflicted.

 _They haven't hurt me yet_ , he thought. _They said they were here to help. I could... I could get Wulf._

A darker voice in the back of his mind hissed back, _**they're testing you. The second you make a mistake, it's back to the experimentation room.**_

He hesitated, thinking back to himself, _I made mistakes already. I wasn't punished._

 ** _It's a test!_** The voice snarled. _**You can't risk yourself for some other pitiful ghost.**_

The boy's brows furrowed. Finding Wulf was always worth the risk. He turned and staggered, trying to make his way to Wulf's cell.

The two teens in front of him turned around to see him stumbling away.

"Woah, the exit isn't that way!" The more heavily armored one exclaimed. "You need to follow us!" They ran over to the ghost, causing him to flinch.

 _ **You see?**_ The voice snapped viciously. **_You're going to be beaten. You're going to be punished again. Why can't you just OBEY?_**

He shook his head, fear shooting through his body. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the beating. Once again, nothing arrived. He opened one eye carefully, seeing the feet of the other teen in front of him. He raised his eyes slightly before pointing a finger down the hallway.

He saw the feet shuffle. "That's not the right way." He heard the more feminine voice say. "We need to escape." Her voice was more stressed now.

He clenched his eyes shut again before pointing more firmly down the hall and letting a pained whined emerge from his tattered throat.

The girl glanced at the armored boy, distressed. Finally she took a step forward, allowing the ghost to lead the way.

 _I... wasn't hurt._ He thought. _I wasn't hurt._ He stumbled down the hall, leaning on the walls. He finally arrived at a cell labeled G-1-06. He placed both hands on it and turned his head to the two teens, eyes still trained on the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam and Tucker anxiously followed the mutilated boy down the hall until they came across another cell. This one must belong to a different sector, considering it was still locked. The freed Sector 1 ghosts had fled in an instant, scattering in different directions around the facility. They could only hope they'd gotten away. Tucker glanced at the girl beside him. She nodded in return, giving him permission to unlock the door.

Tucker got to work with hacking, and the door slid open with a loud creak. They were both shocked to see the ghost boy actually raise his head and look straight forward before stepping into the cell.

They peered into the tiny room, immediately setting eyes upon a hulking black and green mass against the wall. They jerked as it shifted, revealing gleaming white fangs and piercing green eyes. It had strange metal gloves pulled over its hands, and the same kind of collar the younger ghost had. Its face was stained with ectoplasm. There were numerous cuts and lashes that dug through its tattered shirt and into its flesh.

The beast laid eyes upon the ghost boy and showed its teeth. The humans didn't recognize the action as a grin until the wolf-like creature began licking the face of the other boy.

"Amiko!" It exclaimed, its voice raspy. Its brows furrowed in concern. "Kio okazis al vi? ( _What happened to you?_ )" It nuzzled the outstretched hand before gently hugging the teen.

"Okay, this is probably a sweet reunion or something, but we _really_ need to go." Sam urged. "Vlad, what's the status on the ghost shield?" She spoke into her communicator.

"Almost down. You have dozens of agents heading your way. We won't be able to free all the ghosts tonight, focus on escaping for now." He stated smoothly in response.

"You need to follow us." Tucker told the two reunited ghosts.

They both winced, considering it a direct order. They lowered their heads obediently and followed.

Relieved that the ghosts were listening, the teens quickly walked back down the hallway. They had to hurry, but both ghosts were far too injured to run. They turned the corner, faced with guns held by multiple GIW workers.

The wolf-like ghost let loose a vicious snarl before limping forward. Ectoplasm oozed from its wounds, but it payed them no mind. It raised its gloved paw and bared its fangs before lunging forward and ripping into one of the agents. It lifted its head, maw dripping with blood. It turned to the other workers, a cold growl rumbling from its throat.

Sam and Tucker stared in surprise for several seconds before shaking their heads and joining the battle. The ghost boy leaned against the wall in pain, physically unable to fight, but desperately wishing he could help. He panted heavily, ectoplasm oozing from his battered throat.

The agents shot mercilessly at the hulking wolf ghost, but it showed no signs of growing weaker. It roared savagely in response to each shot, slamming agent after agent into the tiled floor. It fought with a burning hatred, showing no mercy on its torturous captors.

Contrarily, the two humans fought hard enough only to knock out the soldiers. Tucker was personally sickened by the wolf's fighting. Sam was as well, though she was too proud to show it. 

With the three fighting together, the agents dropped like flies. They were strong, but certainly not strong enough for two fit, healthy, trained teens and a fury-fueled ghost wolf. The agents had grown too accustomed to beating down weak, malnourished ghosts.

They didn't go unharmed, however. Sam fell to her knee with a cry as a bullet shot straight through her bicep. Tucker swiftly leapt in front of her, taking her place while she checked the extent of the damage. She quickly grabbed some gauze from her small bag and hastily wrapped the wound. She breathed a sigh of relief; it had missed her brachial artery. It would hurt, but she would live.

As Tucker and the ghost took down the last of the agents, she shouted into her communicator, "What's the status, Vlad?!"

She heard a grunt from the other side. "It's- ah, butter biscuits- it's down! Quicken the pace, my dear girl, we have company!" She heard more grunts, a blast, and a cry of pain.

"Vlad?!"

There was momentary silence on the other end. Then there was gasping at the mic, "I'm fine," he panted, "I'll meet you at the entry point." She heard clattering and the line went silent.

"Shit," she hissed to herself. "Tucker, we gotta move!" She got to her feet, wincing at the sudden movement and clutching her shoulder. She glanced at the two ghosts, wondering about their condition. Neither of them were in good shape. The larger one had several gunshot wounds, the ectoplasm seeping into his fur. The younger was still dripping ectoplasm on the floor with each shuddering breath he took.

"They won't last long," Tucker groaned. He attempted moving toward the wolf to offer it an arm of support, but was met with the same reaction as the younger ghost: it lurched back in fear, snarling. Tucker immediately drew back, holding his hands up harmlessly in the air. The growl faded until it was just a low rumble.

The beast perked up its torn ears, limping over to the young ghost. It gave his cheek a gentle lick.

"I promise we'll treat your injuries as soon as we can." Sam grunted, blinking away the surges of pain radiating from her shoulder. "But for now we have to move." She strode to the elevator, Tucker trailing behind to make sure the ghosts were following. They rode to ground level as rapidly as an elevator could take them.

The rest of the escape went fairly quickly, aside from a few stray agents that had regained consciousness. The wolf huffed in displeasure at the fact the two teens only knocked them out. It seemed suspicious of them, always eyeing them when it thought they weren't looking. As if it were looking for openings. For weaknesses. 

Needless to say Tucker was thoroughly unnerved.

The battered group arrived at the end of a darkened hallway, where Sam pushed aside a panel in the wall. It had been completely torn through, leading to the outside world. The boy blinked in both dizziness and shock at the breath of fresh air.

"Come on." Sam urged. The wolf rumbled, but obeyed, squeezing through the paneling. Its eyes widened in disbelief as it set one paw gently on the grass.

Vlad hissed from around the corner, "About time you arrived." He stepped out, causing the two ghosts to flinch away harshly. The larger one immediately bared its fangs and hunched its shoulders. 

"Now now," the man chided. "That's no way to treat your saviors." He glanced down at the creature's hands, noticing the gloved hands. He'd get those off later. There were more pressing matters to deal with. Vlad turned and used one hand to open a large, pink portal.

"We're leaving, now." He stated and gestured at the ghosts.

Both of them glared, taking a step backward. They refused to trust the strangers. Surely, this was a sick test by the GIW. They were tempting them with escape to see their reaction. They did this to provide reason for more torture. It was a test. Everything was a test.

Vlad snorted, teleporting behind the two ghosts and shoving them roughly into the portal. Sam and Tucker cried out in disbelief.

"VLAD! They're injured!" Sam squawked, furious.

"And we'll treat them when we get back." Vlad said simply, waving his hand. "Come along."

Tucker scoffed, and the two finally followed their father figure through the portal. 

They had two ghosts to heal, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vlad that's not how you make friends dude
> 
> Again I'm in no way fluent in Esperanto yet! I always do my best to make the translations as smooth as possible, but please let me know if there are any translation errors and I'll correct them as quickly as I can!


	4. Distrust

** Note: I deliberately make Tucker's Esperanto absolutely horrific. He's the kid who would probably use Google Translate. **

The boy was wounded and terrified. He toppled through the strange pink portal along with his freed companion. They landed heavily, each yelping in pain from their injuries. It was a room much larger than they were accustomed to. The walls were brown, and the room was decorated with rich red furniture.

His friend, Wulf, immediately staggered to his feet and moved in front of the boy. He took on a defensive stance as the three strangers emerged. His lips pulled back to bare his elongated fangs. His ears were flat against his head.

"Kion vi volas?! (What do you want?!)" He snarled, fur bristling. He had both hands spread in front of the boy, shielding him.

One of the strangers spoke. "I... think it's speaking Esperanto." It was the younger male of the group who spoke up. "I'm not fluent, but I know some of the basics. It asked what we want."

The silver-haired man opened his mouth to speak. Wulf growled louder at him; he was the one who pushed them through the portal. The man raised an eyebrow and smirked. "We want to help. Trust me, we can provide the medical assistance you require."

The ghost took a step back as he processed the words, still growling. He wasn't fluent in English, but he could piece some of the words together. "Ču testo? (A test?)" His tail lashed behind him, agitated.

"No!" The younger boy exclaimed. "Uh, ne! Ne testo? (No! No test?)" He hesitated with his words, unsure if he was translating properly. He just added 'no' to the word for test.

Wulf's ear twitched. He was still suspicious, but a cough from his friend snapped his attention elsewhere.

"Amiko!" He cried, getting onto his knees. The boy was collapsed on the floor and breathing heavily. His wounds were dripping with blood; he must have strained them in their escape. "Amiko, mi helpos vin! (Friend, I will help you!)"

It was the girl's turn to speak. "Listen, I get you don't trust us but we _need_ to help you! Please, just let us treat his injuries!" She took a step forward, pleading with him.

Tucker translated roughly so the ghost would understand more quickly. "Um, bonvolu, nur ni traktu liajn vundojn?"

He rumbled, looked at his friend, and looked back. He lifted his companion into his arms before limping over to the most comfortable looking piece of furniture and gently placing him down. The boy wheezed in pain.

"Helpu nin. (Help us.)" Wulf whimpered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam had no knowledge of Esperanto, but she could roughly understand what the ghost was asking based on English cognates. She nodded to it before turning to Vlad in expectation.

Vlad stepped forward. He was the most knowledgeable when it came to medical situations. He ignored the wolf's growl as he leaned in to inspect the boy. "He has severe acid burns." He noted. _What kind of acid could have possibly caused this damage?_ He thought before unzipping the boy's jumpsuit to expose his upper half. Vlad almost winced at the ruined flesh. Scars littered his entire body, but the most prominent one was a raised 'Y' incision. It was clear that the boy had been dissected countless times.

There were numerous injuries and wounds. There were portions of skin that were blackened, sections that were deeply indented to show that entire chunks of flesh had been removed, and an unlimited amount of burns, cuts, and other blemishes. Vlad blinked in surprise as he noticed the Lichtenburg figures imprinted on the skin. The boy had even been electrocuted, _severely_. The man felt a pang of sympathy as well as regret for not being able to rescue this broken ghost sooner.

He blinked away the traces of pity and waved a hand at the teens. "Tucker, fetch a tub of water. I'm unsure what type of acid was used on the boy, but I'll assume we should rinse the wound." The boy nodded before racing out of the room. "Samantha, find us some sterile gauze." She sprinted out of the room.

Vlad looked over at the larger ghost, who was still lowly rumbling at him. It really didn't like him, did it? Perhaps because he shoved them through a portal with total disregard for their wounds. He shrugged.

Sam arrived back first, carrying a roll of gauze. Vlad gave a gentle smile before grabbing it. Tucker followed quickly, carrying a bucket of water and a rag. Vlad grabbed it, dipped the cloth, and gently pressed it to the boy's throat.

The skin immediately started hissing and bubbling and the boy shrieked in agony. 

A furious snarl tore through the air and the wolf ghost lunged forward, tearing Vlad's hand away from the younger ghost. The wolf rose to its full height.

"Oh, settle down." Vlad huffed. "I made a mistake; this acid reacts violently with water. I had no intention to harm the boy further." The ghost's lips were still peeled back to expose glinting fangs. The man sighed and turned to Sam. "The gauze." She quickly handed it over, refusing to look at the mangled boy sprawled on the table.

He reached forward, gently wrapping the gauze around the ghost boy's throat. The teen wheezed heavily, blinking back tears of pain. The wolf stood above them, whining. Vlad moved as quickly as he could in an attempt to minimize how long the pain would last.

"There." He announced, finishing off the last wrap of gauze. "And what about you? We should treat your wounds as well." He asked, turning to the relieved wolf beside him. Its ears flattened and it narrowed its eyes before taking a step back. "You were shot with ectoranium, fool. It'll kill you if we leave it for any longer."

The ghost glared for several moments before sitting on a plush chair next to the couch it had placed the boy on. It turned its head to the side, unable to suppress the growl that emerged as Vlad approached it.

"Now this, I do understand." He muttered before kneeling in front of the ghost. He motioned for the ghost to remove its shirt, and it reluctantly obeyed. Numerous scars were revealed, though none so severe as the boy's. Vlad focused first on a gunshot wound in the wolf's abdomen, taking a fresh cloth and dabbing it against the flesh. "Tucker, bring us some Vaseline and tweezers, would you?" The boy darted out of the room before returning.

Vlad washed each wound carefully first. He could see the poisonous green veins spreading against the wolf's skin. He had to act fast.

"This will hurt," he warned before jabbing the tweezers into the open wound and prying out the bullet. The ghost howled in pain, grinding its fangs together angrily. "Oh, don't be such a baby." 

Vlad repeated the process with each wound before spreading a thin layer of Vaseline over them and covering them with nonstick bandages. "There. Now keep them dry for at least two days." The ghost reached a hand down, which Vlad promptly smacked away. "And no touching."

The large ghost grumbled something in Esperanto before looking at its companion. The teen's breathing had steadied. It breathed a sigh of relief. It turned its head toward the other three people in the room and muttered, "Dankon. (Thank you.)"

The three nodded in unison. Sam was about to speak when a bright flash of white light illuminated around the boy. Two rings slid down his body, leaving a sickly, pale boy with black hair.

They each froze in shock. Sam and Tucker glanced up at Vlad with wide eyes, waiting for his response. The older man was completely frozen, mouth open slightly.

"He's... the same as me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda abrupt ending but uhhh I'm tired as FUCK, I didn't even have a beta-reader on this one so,,
> 
> Some fun notes made for y'all as I was writing the story: 
> 
> \+ Fluoroantimonic acid, the acid used on Danny, reacts incredibly violently with water. Sorry Vlad, you know I gotta cause as much pain for the boy as possible. Chemistry doesn't always give complete reactions, yknow? There was still some leftover acid that hadn't eaten Danny's skin. (If you get an acid burn, please do your research before rinsing it with water...)
> 
> \+ Vlad, Sam, and Tuck should really all be wearing gas masks when dealing with fluoroantimonic acid, whether it's a small reaction or not. How are they supposed to know the fumes are lethal? For the sake of story, I ignored that. Can't be killing off the main characters too quickly, now.
> 
> \+ Gunshot wounds can be picky about how you treat them, so I just went generally. If you're removing a bullet, typically you'd make an incision to make it easier to remove and not further agitate the wound but uhh... Vlad don't give a shit, yknow?


End file.
